Ditching-machine



(No Model.)` 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. CORNELIUS. v DITGHING MACHINE'.

No. 478,408. Patented July 5, 1892.

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No. 478,408. Patented July 5, 1892.

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(No Model.) 3 sheets-sheen 3.

J. CORNELIUS.v DITCHING MACHINE Pamtentedl July 5., 1892.

W/ TNE SSE S t as By ZA! ATTORNEYS v UNTTEDY STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JOHN CORNELIUS, OF OAKLAND, MARYLAND. 'I

DITCVHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 478,408, dated July 5, 1892. Application filed April 5, 1892. Serial No. 427,958. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN CORNELIUS, of Oakland, in the county of Garrett and State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ditohing-Machines, of which the following is a specification. Y My invention is an improvement in ditching-machines, and has for its objects to provide a comparatively simple and inexpensive machine which may be used to cut ditches with parallel sides or with sides flaring outward and in which the machine will be held at the desired depth in the ground and be prevented from running out or going toodeep.

The invention has for further objects o ther improvements; and it consists in novelfeatures of construction and the combinations of `parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side View,

sides or edges b, which are beveled olf on their upper sides down to a cutting-edge. This formation of the cutting-edges b with the downward bevel at the front end of the sole serves to overcome a tendency of the machine to move up to the surface of the ground as it is pulled along, as the direction Y of beveling of the edges serves to force the point of the ditcher down into the ground, such tendency being resisted or counteracted by means of the gage-wheel, more fully described hereinafter. The intermediate central cutter C extends upward and inclines forward from the sole-piece and connects at its upper forward end with the top bar or 'beam D, the cutter O being providedl at its ends with tenons or portions O', fitted in sockets in the sole and beam. The sole and the beam are suitably connected and braced together,preferably by means of rods or bolts E and the strut -brace F, extending down from the rear end of the beam to the sole and firmly bolted to both such parts, as shown. The central cutter having its front cuttingedge inclined, as described, operates with a shearing action upon the soil and will readily cut through roots and similar obstructions. The partition or dividing plate Gr is arranged in rear of the central cutter and is in the nature of a prolongation of such cutter, extendingthence back to the turning plates presently described. This plate G has at its lower edge lugs g, tittingin sockets in the upper side of the sole, while at its upper edge it is held to the beam by clips dropped from the beam and lapping the opposite sides of the partition-plate. I preferably use two at each side, an`upper wing H and a lower Wing I, incline upward Vfrom their juncture with the partition-plate,

and the section H may have its extremity turned outward to throw the dirt to one side; but it is preferred to secure to the upper ends of both parts H and I outwardly-turning plates H and I', secured to parts H and I by bolts passed through slots 71, and r', so that the plates H and I may be adjusted higher or lower, as desired.

The side cutters J are inclined at their front Vcutting-edges similarly to the central cutter and for a like reason, so they will cut the soil with a shearing action. At their lower ends the cutters J have tenons fitted in sockets in the base-cutter near the edge of the latter and are suitably held at their upper ends. It is preferred to support the upper ends of the side cutters by means of an adjustable support composed of two bars J', sliding at their inner ends upon each other and connected at their outer ends with the side cutters, and a 'lheturning-wings, of which y clamp for securing the bars in any suitablel adjustment. This clamp is preferablya bolt K, passed through slots j in the bars J and receiving a nut lo, as shown. By adjusting Ithis support the side cutters may be set to lcut vertical sides or sides sloped to any suitable angle.

To hold the rear end of the sole down and =preserve the sole at the desired level, I provide a retaining-plate L,seated at its middle in and secured to the under side of the sole near its rear end. Such plate is sloped rearwardly and brought to a cutting-edge at its front end and projects laterally a distance IOO greater than the base-cutter. the plateLatits outer ends cuts into the walls of the ditch and will positively preventthe rear end of the sole from rising. A hook M is secured to thesole near its rear end, so that draft mechanism may be hitched to pull the plow back when desired for any reason.

At its front end the beam has a suitable clevis N for the connection of thepulling or draft mechanism, such clevis being preferably provided with springs to ease the jar on the machine in case it strikes a large stone or other like obstruction. When such obstruction is met with, the machine may be pulled back slightly and then raised at its front end, so as to cause it` to run over the obstruction, and after` the obstruction is passed the machine may again be forced into the ground and proceed as before.

To regulate the depth of the machine, I provde the gage-wheel O. This wheel is made with a broad tread and is supported in a bracket P, the shaft or shankp of which turns through a threaded opening Q in the beam, so that the gage-wheel may be adj usted up or down, as desired. The opening Q is prolonged by means of nuts q,secured above and below the beam, with their th readed openings in register,;soas to form a longer bearing for the shaft. This roller gages the depth of the ditch,and `manifestly if the roller be left to follow the ground surface the bottom of the ditch will correspond withthe uneven ness `of the ground surface. To avoid this dificulty, I provide a track-clearer for the gage-wheel, which cuts a level path for the same, so that theroller will at all times have a smooth'iat bearing, insuring a smooth bottom for the ditch. This track-clearer is preferably constructed,as shown, with a base plate or cutter R, brought at its front end at the center to a point and sloping thence otf on each side, and the side plates S, mounted onthe said plate R and meeting at their front ends in a cutting-edge at s, and the support forsuch clearer, said support consisting of the two screw-shafts T, arranged one in rear` of the other, bearing in threaded openings in the beam and swiveled at their lower ends to the base plate or cutter, preferably by forming heads t on the lower ends of the shafts T and fitting a cover or retaining-plate U upon the cutter-plate over the heads t, as shown. In this constructionv by raising one shaft T and lowering the other the angle of the track-clearer may be varied and set to cause its base-cutter to ineline up or down toward its front end,and so operate to guide the ditcher up or down, as may he desired.

In operation the machine may be pulled by means of a pulling-machine, such as are used to pull stumps, or by any othersuitable pulling or power mechanism.

It will be understood that the machine may be used to form tile-ditches, ditches for outlets, or other forms of ditches, as may be desired. In practice the front cutter-bar oper- By this means' ates to split the dirt in the center, so that it may be equally divided and thrown half on each side. v

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new isl. In a ditching-machine, the combination,

with the sole and the ditching-cutters, includbase plate or cutter, the side plates converg ing at their front ends, forming acutting-edge, the supporting-shafts arranged one in rear oi` the other, threaded through the beam and having heads attheir lowerends, and the coverplate fitted on the said base-cutter andtsecuring the heads of the shafts thereto, all substantially as set forth.

3. The improved ditching-machine herein described, consisting of the sole-piece, the

beam, the adjustable gage-wheeh:the'adjust` able track-clearer arranged in front ofthe gage-wheel, the-base-cutter, the central cutter, the side cutters, the adjustable support for the said cutters, the partition in 'rearof the `central cutter, and the turning-wings, all substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

1. An improved ditching-machine comprising the base beam or sole A, provided with the base-cutter, the top bar or beamD, the central cutter C, held between the beams A `and' D, the side cutters J,secured at their lower ends to the base-cutter, supports `for the-upper ends of the side cutters, said supports being fixed to the topbeams, the partition-plate G,arranged inrear of and-in alignment with the cutter C and held between the beams A and D, and the tnrningwings connecting with the partition and base-cutter, all .substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a ditching-machine, substantially as described, the combination of thecentralcut-` ter, the base-cutter, the side cutters, andthe elevating and turning wings located considerably in `rear of the central cutter, of the partition-plate arranged in rear .of and in align-` ment with said central cutter, the said partition being arranged at itsfront edge close to the rear edge of the central cutter and eX- IOO IIO

tending rearwardly therefrom to theturningwings, all substantially as described, whereby well-defined slices may be `formed andheld` separated before they are subjected to the action of the elevating and turning wings,sub stantially as set forth.

6. In a ditching-machine, the combination,` with the base, central and side cutters and the beam, ot` the track-clearer, two independent vertically-adjustable supports arranged one in rear of the other and ,connecting the track-clearer with the beam, whereby said clearer may be adjusted vertically and to cutter, the elevating andturning Wings, and any desired angle to the horizontal, and the a cutter L, secured to the solo-piece in rear of 1o gage Wheel adjustably supported and ar the base-cutter, substantially as and for the ranged in rear of the track-clearer, Substanpurposes set forth.

tially as and for the purpose set forth. JOHN CORNELIUS.

7. In a ditching-plow, the combin ation, sub- Witnesses:

stantially as described, of the-solepiece or KATIE CORNELIUS,

base, the ditching-cutters, including a base- MARY WHITE. 

